


You'll Be Fine

by Dandy



Category: Free!
Genre: Angst, Free! Kink Meme, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-13
Updated: 2014-09-13
Packaged: 2018-02-17 05:59:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2299013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dandy/pseuds/Dandy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SPOILERS for Episode 11</p>
<p>"He inhaled, harsh, shaky, and Rin lurched forward in his seat, putting a hand on Haru’s back. He’d been hoping they’d at least get to the hotel before this happened, because plane seats were awkward for comfort and bored passengers would soon be craning their necks around to see what the commotion was, but beggars couldn’t be choosers."</p>
<p>Or, Haru has a breakdown on the plane.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You'll Be Fine

**Author's Note:**

> For this prompt at the anon kink meme:
> 
> http://iwatobiswimclub.dreamwidth.org/2701.html?thread=3469453#cmt3469453

Haru hadn’t said much beyond a few questions as they boarded the plane, which was usual enough so Rin didn’t think too much about it. Honestly, he supposed he should be glad that Haru spoke at all, after all that had happened.

Haru hadn’t said anything about it, of course, but he’d gotten bits and pieces of the story from Makoto. “I’m going to tell him tonight,” and later a curt, “It didn’t go well,” followed by short texts with relevant information. He didn’t say everything and Rin didn’t press – this wasn’t any easier on Makoto than it was on Haru.

But Makoto had Rei and Nagisa to look after him (he’d gotten an overenthusiastic voicemail that morning with, “Please take care of Haruka-senpai, Rin-san!” and, “Leave Mako-chan to us, Rin-rin!” so he knew that was taken care of), and he only had to focus on Haru on his end.

Not that he ever had a hard time focusing on Haru. He looked over at him, sitting by the window, looking out attentively at the ocean below, and thought that he looked way too hot, even with his hair still mussed up.

He flushed and looked back down at his book. Haru was going through enough right now without Rin composing romantic overtures in his head.

So Haru stared out the window and Rin read his book and neither of them said anything for the first two hours of the flight.

Then a flight attendant bustled over with a cart and asked if they wanted anything to drink or snack on. Rin asked for water for himself, then nudged Haru’s arm to get his attention. “Hey Haru, you want anything?”

Haru blinked at him, blinked at the flight attendant, asked, “What?”

He was really out of it. Rin gave the attendant an apologetic glance before turning back to his friend. “Do you want anything to drink or eat? Don’t worry, I’m paying for everything, so get what you want.”

Haru continued to stare at him, then mumbled, “I don’t know what I want.”

Rin got a foreboding feeling and looked back at the flight attendant. “He’ll take a water, too,” he said quickly, more to get rid of her than anything. She at least sensed she didn’t want to be here, either, and handed him two small bottles of water before hurrying along to the next row.

“Here,” he said, handing the bottle to Haru, who took it and stared at it like he wasn’t sure what to do with it. Finally, he tried to twist the cap off, hissing when he fumbled with it. It slipped out of his hands and he curled into himself as it rolled into the floor.

Rin ignored it. “Haru?”

“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” he whispered, and his voice sounded choked, in a way Rin had never heard from him before. “I don’t know what I’m going to-“

He inhaled, harsh, shaky, and Rin lurched forward in his seat, putting a hand on Haru’s back. He’d been hoping they’d at least get to the hotel before this happened, because plane seats were awkward for comfort and bored passengers would soon be craning their necks around to see what the commotion was, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

“Haru-“

“Everyone else knows,” continued Haru, folding his arms and gripping them tightly. “You. Makoto. Even Rei and Nagisa. And I-“ 

His words were choked off again, and he shuddered violently under Rin’s hand. Rin’s heartbeat pounded in his ears, but even he was surprised when he spoke, and instead of the scream he expected his voice was low, soothing. “That’s why we’re here. That’s why we’re doing this, okay?”

For the first time since he’d taken the bottle, Haru looked at him, just a little, the desperation in his eyes almost knocking Rin flat. He kept talking.

“You’re going to figure it out, okay? And I’m going to help you. That’s why we’re here,” he repeated, trying to drive that point home. “I’m here for you -“

“You’ll just _leave_!” yelled Haru suddenly, jerking back from him, as far as he could in the small space. “You, and Makoto, everyone always-“

“Damn it, Haru, I’m _here_! I’m right here!”

Rin winced at the anger in his own voice, because that wasn’t how he meant to sound. But it seemed to get through to Haru, to get him to stop trying to escape, and that desperation was still there. 

Haru wanted to believe it.

Rin’s voice dropped back to that soothing tone without him even trying. “I’m not going anywhere this time, I promise you.”

He could feel eyes boring into his back. There were the lookey-loos. He shot an angry look over his shoulder, startling off a watching couple across the aisle, then looked back. Haru was looking down at his lap, breathing hard.

“It’s not just me,” Rin said, fishing for his phone in his pocket. “Makoto hasn’t left you, either.”

Finding his phone, he pulled up his texts from Makoto. The last ten or so were all about Haru, making sure he was there when Rin got there and that he agreed to go and if they got to the airport alright and take care of him, Rin, please take care of him.

He handed the phone over to Haru, who slowly took it from him. Rin watched him closely as he read the texts, his face screwing up more and more with each one, and Rin had never seen him that close to crying.

When he got to the last one, he let out a raspy gasp that was almost a sob and moved his hand like he was going to throw the phone. “Hey, hey,” said Rin, taking it from him before he could, then gripping Haru’s hand in his. “Do you believe me now?”

Haru shook his head. “He’s going to Tokyo,” he said, and Rin sighed.

“He has to do what’s right for him, Haru. You didn’t really expect him to give up his life for you, did you?”

The words hit Haru like a slap, his eyes widening. Rin didn’t back down. “You know he can’t. If you’re really his friend, you’d never expect him to.”

Haru looked down at his lap and gritted his teeth, still holding Rin’s hand. Rin rubbed circles with his thumb. “Look at me, come on.”

“I don’t-“ Haru took another shaky breath. “I don’t expect him to do that.” He looked up at Rin, and he _was_ crying now, a tear sliding down his cheek, and Rin found it both fascinating and terrifying. “But I don’t want him to leave, either.”

“He’s not.” Rin smiled. “Just because he’s leaving Iwatobi… he’ll always be there for you, Haru. Physical distance doesn’t mean anything. He’s going to be there for you, and me, and Rei and Nagisa and Gou… everybody. They… _we_ love you, Haru.”

Haru wiped his tear away and looked down at his lap once again. “…Makoto said the same thing.”

“Because it’s true.” Rin kept smiling. “You’re not alone. We’ve got your back through this.”

Haru shook his head. “I still don’t know what to do.”

“Like I said, you’ll figure it out.” He hesitated, then added, “I’m sorry… if I’ve been pressuring you into something you don’t want. Swimming, I mean,” he clarified, feeling clumsy, like he didn’t know what to say here. “It doesn’t have to be professional swimming, you know? If you want to be the world’s best ditch digger, that’s fine with me. I just want you to _have_ a dream.”

Haru swallowed hard. “And what if I don’t find one?”

“It’s going to find you, Haru.” Haru looked up, shocked. “If you open yourself up to it, it’ll hit you.” Rin bopped his forehead, grinning. “Just like that.”

Haru actually put his hand to his forehead like he might grab a dream just from that, and Rin chuckled.

He let go of Haru’s hand and put his arm around his shoulders instead. For a moment, Haru was stiff, but then he relaxed into Rin’s arm. Rin tried not to blush and coughed, self-conscious, and looked away.

“…Rin?”

“Yeah?”

“…Makoto was right. I’m not fine.”

Rin pulled him in closer. “I know, Haru, I know. But you’re going to be.”

“I hope you’re right.”

Rin rubbed his shoulder. “I am.”

He shot one more look at the busybodies across the aisle, then leaned in and pressed a kiss to Haru’s hair before even he knew what he was doing. Haru blinked but otherwise didn’t react, and Rin held his breath.

Then Haru leaned more into Rin’s shoulder, and he exhaled.

“You’re going to be fine.”


End file.
